This invention relates to the provision of utilitiesxe2x80x94water, electricity, sewage, etcxe2x80x94in places where there are no municipal mains. The invention is applicable for use with buildings in such places as: remote and rural areas; buildings in environmentally sensitive areas such as lakeshore and island locations; remote-location tourist accommodations; remote airports, weather stations, generating facilities etc; temporary mining, exploration, and construction camps; military deployment areas; and disaster-relief accommodations.
One of the main problems of buildings in remote locations, where there are no municipal mains, lies in the manner of providing the utilities, i.e water, electricity, sewage, etc, and the systems associated therewith, i.e hot water, space heating, etc. It has been the common practice for the architects and contractors of no-mains buildings to handle the supply of such things as diesel-generators, septic tanks, hot water heaters, and all the rest, in an uncoordinated way. The various structural units for supplying the facilities are all physically present in more or less the same place, but the components have all been selected, ordered, and delivered independently, and each item has had to be installed and tested on site.
As a result, the overall utility system, although it can be expected to operate, and the components can be expected to have a reasonable service life, still the system is a make-the-best-of-it aggregate of units, rather than a planned, purposeful integration of units. The designs as described herein, by contrast, permit the whole system to be planned not only as to the functional interaction between the various components, to promote operational efficiency, but planned as to the physical layout of the units and components, to minimise interference and to maximise beneficial interactions. In the described designs, the components can be assembled, in-factory, and the whole system can be tested, in-factory, as an integrated system.
The factory-assembled and tested module can be shipped and installed in the as-tested format. Once at the site, it is a simple matter to couple up the various plumbing and other connections to the building. The structures of the units and components are physically secured in the module, to the extent that the structures can remain secure during transport by road or rail (or by boat, if that is what is available).
In the described designs, it is not that the units and components are new in themselves: rather, the distinctiveness lies in the fact that the units and components can be assembled and secured into the module, in-factory, prior to shipping.
It is also recognised that the physical proximity and structural integration of the units provides an excellent basis on which to build functional and operational coordination of the units.
The described designs are of a module that allows a dwelling to operate independently of conventional municipal service connections. The module provides a removable/portable water, sewage, and electrical infrastructure, which need be tied neither to a specific dwelling nor to a specific site location. The module can be independent of the dwelling unit and can be prefabricated in a controlled factory-type environment.
The module may contain all, or some, of the following systems:
potable water purification and storage system;
biological purifier systems for waste water treatment;
grey-water circulation equipment;
water storage tanks, water-to-water heat exchanger and pressure systems;
central heating equipment;
stand-alone electricity system based on photovoltaic components, wind generator, with diesel-powered co-generation back-up system.
Sometimes, one of the utility services might be available from the municipal mains at a location. For example, it can sometimes be a fairly simple matter to bring mains electricity to an island, whereas it might be difficult to bring mains potable water, and impossible to bring a mains sewage connection, to the same site. The design as described herein can still be applicable, but its advantageous usefulness in that case is of course reduced, particularly in that advantage cannot now be taken of the interactability of the utility services that is enabled in the designs as described herein.
Although the invention is described and referred to specifically as it relates to specific devices and structures to accommodate systems and components for water treatment, water storage, wastewater treatment, wastewater storage and storage of treated wastewater and structures containing systems and components for water treatment, water storage, wastewater treatment, wastewater storage and storage of treated wastewater, it will be understood that the principles of this invention are equally applicable to similar devices, structures to contain and containing similar systems and components and accordingly, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to such devices, structures to contain and containing systems and components for water treatment, water storage, wastewater treatment, wastewater storage and storage of treated wastewater.
Water and wastewater storage and treatment are generally carried out on a large municipal scale. Exceptions are largely rural or remote with individual filters to treat wellwater and the like, and individual septic tanks to treat wastewater, which operate in isolation. Generally there is no integrated system with recycling to handle both. Where such a system has been designed it has to be specifically designed and built into and around a dwelling or other building. There is a need for an integrated and integral system with recycling for easy installation or removable attachment from a dwelling or other building.
A specific system is described in ASTM Publication Code Number (PCN) 04-013240-38, Townshend et al. The system described therein is built into the entire dwelling, not removable from it and its components are not together in one place.
In a preferred version of the present design precipitation collects into a large cistern and passes after suitable sequential filtration through multi-media gravel, slow sand, activated carbon, and ultraviolet disinfection into a pressurized potable water storage tank which supplies drinking, washing and cooking water to kitchen and bathroom sinks. The wastewater then passes through a two chamber septic tank and an effluent filter into a recirculation tank, and then into a Waterloo Biofilter(trademark) using a specific foam medium, which optimizes microbial wastewater degradation. The outflow of the Waterloo Biofilter(trademark) is mostly into the recirculation tank, some is diverted to a disposal bed, some passes into another sequential filtration or polishing, system of multi-media rough sand, slow sand, activated carbon, then ultraviolet or ozone disinfection. Ozone was found better in some ways. Both may be used together first ozone then ultraviolet. The treated water (grey water) is used for laundry, bath tub, showers, toilets, and like uses is probably potable, and meets health standards for swimming or bathing water.
The Waterloo Biofilter(trademark) mentioned above is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,513 issued to Jowett et al., Jan. 13, 1998, which teaches using 1.5 cm foam plastic (polyurethane) cubes (from Jowett et al., J. Environ. Qual. 24:86-95 (1995) which are better than shredded foam plastic). Other effective biofiltering media are commercially available and may be used instead.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide a structural container to hold a wastewater treatment system. It is a principal object of the invention to provide a structural container to hold a water treatment system. It is a further principal object of the invention to provide a structural container holding wastewater and water treatment systems. It is a further principal object of the invention to provide a structural container to hold wastewater storage means. It is a further principal object of the invention to provide a structural container to hold water storage means. It is a further principal object of the invention to provide a structural container to hold wastewater and water storage means. It is a principal object of the invention to provide a structural container to hold wastewater treatment systems and storage. It is a principal object of the invention to provide a structural container to hold water treatment systems and storage. It is a further principal object of the invention to provide a structural container holding water and wastewater treatment systems and storage means. It is a subsidiary object to provide a container having space heating means. It is a subsidiary object to provide a container having water heating means. It is a subsidiary object to provide a container having air conditioning means. It is a subsidiary object to provide a container having means for energy or heat recovery from ventilated air. It is a subsidiary object to provide a container having a remote monitoring and control system for water and/or wastewater treatment. It is a subsidiary object to provide a container having a grey water sprinkler system. Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification, statement of invention claimed and accompanying drawings.
In one broad aspect the invention is directed to a container for water and wastewater treatment systems with four upright walls forming a rectangular enclosure. The enclosure has a base floor frame attached to the base of the walls supporting a load bearing floor, and a roof/ceiling attached to the top of the walls. The container has external height not more than 8 feet, external length not more than 20 feet, and external width not more than 8 feet 2 inches, thus being the same size as a cargo container at largest. It can be as little as 6 feet 6 inches long. The enclosure has an opening for human access and a plurality of wall openings to allow water and electric power supply conduits to pass therethrough. Preferably the enclosure has a wall subfloor frame attached to the upright walls above and spaced apart from the base floor frame, which supports a load bearing subfloor spaced above and apart from the floor. The subfloor is preferably supported by upper subfloor longitudinal edge beams above lower floor longitudinal beams with supporting bends, or bays or frames transverse to and connecting the beams. The frames have upper subfloor joists connecting the upper beams, lower floor joists connecting the lower floor beams, upright studs connecting each upper subfloor beam to the lower floor beam below it. Preferably there is at least one tank means in the space between floor and subfloor. If SO it is desirably surrounded by foamed material to hold it in the space between floor and subfloor. Preferably it is a dual chamber septic tank, when conveniently a section of container wall adjacent the septic tank is removable to allow removal of the septic tank. Sometimes tank means for water storage is in the space between floor and subfloor. Usually the septic tank has a clean out opening, and the container wall has an access hatch to access the septic tank clean out opening. Often a support shelf is built into one or more walls of the container above the septic tank. Usually to provide strength against torque a lower transverse support wall is provided between opposed container walls and the floor and subfloor abutting the septic tank on one side. Also an upper transverse support wall extending from the subfloor to the roof/ceiling of the container is provided for similar reasons. Generally further wall openings are provided for chimneys, ducts, ventilation pipes for heating and/or air conditioning, and filling pipes. These openings are sealed by self sealing means to provide a sealed environment within the container.
In another broad aspect the invention is directed to a water treatment system within a container comprising inlet water conduit means passing through a wall of the container, water filter means comprising first water filter means to remove particulate matter and turbidity and second water filter means to remove big-organisms, and a pressurized storage tank means, water conduit means connecting the water filter means and the pressurized storage tank means, and outlet water conduit means passing through a wall of the container, the inlet water conduit means being couplable to water supply conduit means, the outlet water conduit means being couplable to building water supply inlet conduit means. Usually at least one water storage tank means distinct from the pressurized storage tank means is provided, generally a cold water storage tank means, often a hot water storage tank means with associated water heating means.
In a further broad aspect the invention is directed to a wastewater treatment system within a container comprising an inlet wastewater conduit means passing through a wall of the container, leading to a dual chamber septic tank, the septic-tank having effluent conduit means leading to a single pass aerobic biological filtration column to remove big-organisms, a conduit means leading from the biological filtration column to wastewater filter means, which has first wastewater filter means to remove particulate matter and turbidity, and second wastewater filter means to remove residual bio-organisms downstream of said first wastewater filter means, outlet leachfield wastewater conduit means upstream of the first wastewater filter means, passing through a wall of the container, grey water storage tank means, downstream of the first wastewater filter means, outlet grey water conduit means, passing through a wall of the container, downstream of the grey water storage tank means, the inlet wastewater being couplable to building wastewater outlet conduit means, the outlet leachfield conduit means being couplable to inlet wastewater conduit means for leachfield means, the grey water outlet means being couplable to building grey water supply inlet conduit means. Usually a wastewater recirculation tank means is provided downstream of the septic tank and upstream of the biological filtration column, with recirculation wastewater conduit means downstream of the biological filtration column leading to the wastewater recirculation tank means. Desirably a water treatment system is provided within the container comprising inlet water conduit means passing through a wall of the container, water filter means comprising first water filter means to remove particulate matter and turbidity and second water filter means to remove bio-organisms, and a pressurized storage tank means, water conduit means connecting the water filter means and the pressurized storage tank means, and outlet water conduit means passing through a wall of the container, the inlet water conduit means being couplable to water supply conduit means, the outlet water conduit means being couplable to building water supply inlet conduit means, the treated water from the water treatment system when used becoming the wastewater for the wastewater treatment system. Usually at least one water storage tank means distinct from the pressurized storage tank means is provided, generally a cold water storage tank means, often a hot water storage tank means with associated water heating means.
In a further broad aspect the invention is directed a container for wastewater treatment systems comprising four upright walls forming a rectangular enclosure, the enclosure having a base floor frame attached to the base of the walls supporting a load bearing floor, and a roof/ceiling attached to the top of the walls, the container having external height not more than 8 feet, external length not more than 20 feet, and external width not more than 8 feet 2 inches. The enclosure has an opening for human access and a plurality of wall openings to allow water and electric power supply conduits to pass therethrough. The enclosure further has a wall subfloor frame attached to the upright walls above and spaced apart from the base floor frame, the subfloor frame supports a load bearing subfloor spaced above and apart from the floor. The subfloor is supported by upper subfloor longitudinal edge beams above lower floor longitudinal beams with supporting bends, or bays or frames transverse to and connecting the beams, the frames having upper subfloor joists connecting the upper beams, lower floor joists connecting the lower floor beams, upright studs connecting each upper subfloor beam to the lower floor beam below it. A dual chamber septic tank surrounded by foamed material is in the space between subfloor and floor abutting one endwall of the container. Above the septic tank adjacent the same end wall resting on the subfloor is a wastewater recirculation tank means and a wastewater polishing system comprising particulate matter filter means and big-organism filter means. Above the wastewater recirculation tank means and wastewater polishing system is a support shelf built into one or more walls of the container on which shelf rest a wastewater biofiltration column and a grey water storage tank means. The septic tank, wastewater recirculation tank means, wastewater biofiltration column, wastewater polishing system and grey water storage tank means are connected by conduits for liquid. Preferably a transverse lower support wall extends between opposed container walls and the floor and subfloor abutting the septic tank. Preferably the container comprising a potable water treatment system, which comprises a potable water storage tank means resting on the subfloor, and resting on a potable water upper support shelf is a potable water polishing system comprising particulate matter filter means and big-organism filter means and a pressurized potable water storage tank means. The potable support shelf is supported by opposed spaced apart upper support walls projecting from a sidewall of the container above the subfloor. Suitably the potable water storage means include cold and hot tank means having associated heating means resting on the subfloor between said upper support walls. The associated heating means may be solar powered.
Preferably an access corridor extends along one side of the container from the transverse lower support wall to the endwall of the container remote from the septic tank and the subfloor and supporting bends, bays or frames extend from the sidewall of the container remote from the access corridor to the near edge of the access corridor. The upper support wall remote from the septic tank may extend from container sidewall to near edge of access corridor and from subfloor to roof/ceiling and is a firewall. Often a space heating furnace with associated ducting for ventilation and heating couplable to those of a building is mounted on said subfloor on the side of the firewall remote from the septic tank. Air conditioning means may be associated with the ducting, as may be ERV or HRV. When the furnace is an oil furnace, an oil tank therefor is provided resting on the subfloor between the firewall and the other upper support wall, with filling access means through the adjacent container sidewall. Electric power supply means may be present in the container on the same side of the firewall as the furnace. Typically the electric power supply means is selected from solar (photovoltaic), local grid, storage battery, and generator. Monitoring means for wastewater treatment means, water treatment means, space heating furnace and electric power supply, when these are present, may be mounted in the container on the same side of the firewall as the furnace. Conveniently the monitoring means has remote dial-up access means incorporated therein. Sometimes a potable water storage cistern surrounded by foamed material fills the space under the subfloor between the transverse lower support wall and the endwall of the container remote from the septic tank.